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How did the North Cross pitcher respond? By retiring the next three batters he faced, one on a flyout he caught himself and another on a strikeout looking.

He proceeded to fan 13 more batters as part of a complete-game shutout, finishing off his gem by striking out the side in the final inning.

He鈥檚 been pitching more relaxed of late. Committing to a Division I school certainly helped.

鈥淚t took a lot of stress off my belt,鈥� the junior said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been playing freely since, so it just feels really good to just be committed to one program.鈥�

That one program is VCU. After team personnel took a trip to 色多多 and saw Lange pitch in a March 29 game, they were satisfied.

He received an offer that night and announced his commitment the next day.

鈥淗e wanted to go ahead and knock it out, and I think he鈥檚 happy with what he got,鈥� North Cross head coach Rodney Spradlin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy for him. I know that鈥檚 what he wanted to do, and he鈥檚 been much more relaxed since then, and I think that鈥檒l help us down the road as a team.鈥�

Lange, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound righty, was stellar on the mound last season for the Raiders. He struck out 128 batters over 58 2/3 innings and recorded a 1.91 ERA, earning an All-Timesland selection. VCU reached out to him in December and stayed in constant contact with him through his commitment. He went on a visit three months prior, and decided Richmond would become his next home.

He also garnered an offer from Navy, and received interest from Duke, George Mason, William & Mary and Longwood, but chose VCU above all others. Spradlin, who won a state championship with William Byrd in 1997 and has served as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays, is confident Lange will play his freshman year.

鈥淚t really did feel like home there when I was on my visit. They鈥檝e always been there,鈥� Lange said. 鈥淲hen I went up there, the facilities were great. I connected with all the coaches, we clicked from the start, so I just loved them. They鈥檙e young, so they get you. They鈥檙e all really good.鈥�

Lange was 11 years old when he competed on a travel team for 14- and 15-year-olds that his father coached. He was the slowest pitcher on the roster, he said, tossing the ball between 65-70 mph. When he joined Team Virginia at 12 years old, he started hurling in the 80s.

Now, thanks to strength training programs and improved pitching mechanics as a high school ballplayer, his fastball can reach the low 90s. He鈥檚 added an 80-mph changeup, as well as mid-70s curveballs and sliders, to his arsenal.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been nonstop work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the summer, late nights working with my dad, working with other coaches. It鈥檚 just been a lot of hard work, and to commit is a dream come true.鈥�

Lange鈥檚 best attribute, Spradlin said, is his ability to compete. He鈥檚 a three-sport athlete, adding baseball in the spring and summer to football in the fall and basketball in the winter. But Spradlin believes Lange will become a mid-to-upper-90s pitcher once he shifts his focus solely to the diamond.

鈥淚 think he is only going to get better once he gets to college and starts playing baseball only,鈥� Spradlin said. 鈥淥nce he specifies his workouts 鈥� his lifting, his stretching and everything 鈥� to pitching, his velocity is going to go up.鈥�

Lange still has the bulk of this season and the entirety of next season remaining for his high school career, and he鈥檚 committed to leading North Cross to more success. As for his college commitment, he aims to make an impact immediately.

鈥淚 hope to just do big things; break some records, just be one of their everyday guys Friday night, Saturday night, whatever it takes,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 really just hope to be successful there, make my effect on them freshman year.鈥�